Danish for Saturnians Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jan 22, 2012 in Vocabulary
In this post, we’ll continue helping our alien friend survive in Denmark…
Insecurities
– Undskyld… Excuse me/Sorry…
– Jeg forstår ikke. I don’t understand.
– Kan du gentage det? Can you repeat that (please)?(We don’t really say please in Denmark, preferring to be polite in other ways!)
– Du taler for hurtigt! You speak too fast!
– Kan du tale lidt langsommere? Could you (please) talk a bit slower?
– Hvordan siger man alien på dansk? How do you say ’alien’ in Danish?
– Hvad betyder ’brandstation’? What does brandstation mean? (It means ’fire station’!)
– Kan du hjælpe mig? Can you help me (please)?
– Taler du engelsk/tysk? Do you speak English/German?
– Hvad er klokken? What time is it?
– Den er halv tre/tre/kvart over tre/et kvarter i fire/fem minutter i fire. It’s half past two/three o’clock/a quarter past three/a quarter to four/five minutes to four.
– Jeg ved ikke. I do not know.
– Hjælp! Help!
Getting around
– Her, der. Højre, venstre. Oppe, nede. Hjemme, ude. Nord, syd, øst, vest. Here, there. Right, left. Up, down. At home, abroad. North, South, East, West.
– Hvor er jeg? Where am I?
– Jeg er faret vild. I am lost. – Hvor ligger Valby station? Where is Valby station?
– Hvor langt er der til Istedgade? How far is it to Istedgade?
– Hvordan kommer jeg til Rundetårn? How do I get to Rundetårn?
– Drej til venstre i lyskrydset. Turn left at the traffic lights.
– Gå over broen. Walk over the bridge.
– Fortsæt ligeud indtil du kommer til parken. Continue straight ahead until you reach the park.
– Undskyld, ved du hvor jeg finder den amerikanske ambassade? Excuse me, do you know how to find the American Embassy?
Getting provisions
– Tager I VISA? Do you accept VISA?
– Hvor ligger den nærmeste bank/hæveautomat? Where is the nearest bank/ATM?
– Hvor meget koster det? How much is it?
– Det bliver 100 kroner. That’ll be 100 Kroner.
– Hvad er det i amerikanske dollar/britiske pund/euro? What’s that in American Dollars/British Pounds/Euros?
– To kilo appelsiner, tak! Two kilos of oranges, please!
– Brød, mælk, smør, ost, juice, kartofler, ris, spaghetti, æg, tomater, kød, fisk. Barberblade, sæbe, shampoo, toiletpapir, hygiejnebind, tamponer, kondomer. Øl, vin, slik, chips, sodavand. Bread, milk, butter, cheese, juice, potatoes, rice, spaghetti, eggs, tomatoes, meat, fish. Razor blades, soap, shampoo, toilet paper, sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms. Beer, wine, candies, chips, soda/lemonade/pop.
Don’ forget
checking out this Danish text-to-speech engine! Remember to select one of the Danish voices – Mette (female) or Rasmus (male). It’s a great tool for practicing a bit of pronunciation. 😉
Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.
About the Author: Bjørn A. Bojesen
I was born in Denmark, but spent large parts of my childhood and study years in Norway. I later returned to Denmark, where I finished my MA in Scandinavian Studies. Having relatives in Sweden as well, I feel very Scandinavian! I enjoy reading and travelling, and sharing stories with you! You’re always welcome to share your thoughts with me and the other readers.
Comments:
Mel:
Haha, it’s great!
I look forward to your explanation of grovhaandvaerkere og rundstykker in general … ;-)))
Bjørn A. Bojesen:
@Mel Thanks for the tip! Never thought about that, but I’ll definitely have to visit my baker some day… 🙂
Andel:
This “Danish for Aliens” posts are very useful. Tak!
Bjørn A. Bojesen:
@Andel Hm, there are still more planets, so I’ll think about it… Selv tak! 🙂